The present invention relates to basketball goals, consisting generally of a basket, rim, and support, which are capable of deflecting in a variety of directions upon application of sufficient force, such as from a dunk shot, the deflection preventing damage to the rim and associated backboard to which the goal is mounted. The present invention relates particularly to such a goal that can automatically return to an original position upon removal of the force.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,420 and 4,194,734 disclose an energy absorbing basketball goal/backboard unit that incorporates a conventional vertically aligned backboard and horizontally aligned goal, i.e., the basket. The goal is spring mounted to pivot relative to the backboard forwardly and downwardly out of its normal horizontal plane when a predetermined excess force is applied such as when a player dunks the basketball and slaps, hits or pulls the goal with his hands, wrists, or arms. The goal returns to its original position with the energy of the return motion being dissipated by shock absorbing means. Provision can also be made for the goal to deflect sideward under spring and shock absorbing restraint. The spring providing the return forces and the shock absorbing means are mounted behind the backboard and connected to the goal by members extending though openings in the backboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,802 discloses a basketball goal-backboard unit including a backboard of glass, a rigid frame surrounding the backboard, a shock-absorbing assembly having a front plate and a rear plate disposed in registering relationship forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of the backboard. Cushioning panels are snugly disposed between the backboard adjacent faces of the front and rear plates and the backboard, and with the basketball goal incorporating a mounting element disposed on the forward face of the front plate. A single bolt interengages the basketball goal mounting element, the front and rear plates, and the cushioning panels. A fluid cylinder can be presented rearwardly of the backboard, being mounted upon the frame, and having a piston operatively engaged at the rearward plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,839 discloses a basketball rim assembly especially adapted to relieve forces which normally are imparted to the backboard of conventional basketball rim assemblies. There is a rim of conventional configuration mounted to a support plate which fits against the forward face of the backboard. There is a rear support plate on the backside of the backboard fixedly attached to the front plate. This rear plate in turn transmits loads exerted thereon into a base frame structure. Additionally, the rim is provided with a release mechanism which permits it to rotate downwardly from its horizontal position when an impact load of sufficient magnitude is exerted on the rim such as those occurring in the execution of a dunk shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,777 discloses a basketball goal for mounting on a backboard for providing absorption and dissipation of the energy occurring during a dunk shot or the like. The rim of the goal is pivotally mounted to the backboard and held in place by means of a spring and fluid filled hydraulic piston-cylinder mechanism, which are mounted between the backboard and the rim. A downward force on the rim is opposed primarily by a vertical coil spring surrounding the cylinder. The cylinder and spring are coaxial with the axis being substantially parallel to the plane of the backboard. The downward motion of the rim opens a valve in the piston-cylinder allowing the cylinder to be moved upwardly with the downward movement of the rim with substantially no hydraulic restrictions. When the rim begins its return to normal position under spring pressure, the valve is closed. The piston has a predetermined diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the cylinder. Expansion of the compressed spring forces the piston upwardly, with the space between the piston wall and cylinder wall creating a limited flow of the fluid so as to cushion and dampen the return of the rim to its normal position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,790 discloses a basketball goal having support structure adapted to be mounted to a backboard, and rim structure including a rim, mounted to the support structure. The basketball goal further includes a rim support assembly including a clamp, a spring and a rigid member. The clamp is mounted to the rim support assembly and has a clamped position for maintaining the rim in a horizontal position, and an unclamped position enabling the rim to swing downwardly in an arcuate path. The spring is operatively mounted to the clamp for maintaining the clamp in the clamped position, and for permitting the clamp to assume the unclamped position and move in the arcuate path upon application of a predetermined force to the rim. The rigid member supports the spring, and is mounted for swinging movement along another arcuate path upon application of the predetermined force to the rim, thereby preventing damage to the spring when the clamp assumes the unclamped position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,716,294 and 6,080,071 discloses a breakaway basketball rim assembly in which there is a release assembly which operably interconnects the base member and the rim member, the release assembly being configured to release the rim member in response to a downward load which is received at any point along an extended frontal arc of the circular hoop, so that the hoop tilts downwardly generally in the direction of the load. There is also a reaction load mechanism for returning the hoop to its horizontal playing position. A U-shaped fulcrum joint extends between the reaction load in the hoop so as to provide a pivot point in line between the reaction load and any impact point along the extended frontal arc of the hoop. The joint is configured so that the rim releases in response to a substantially identical impact load anywhere along the frontal arc.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,409 discloses a breakaway basketball rim assembly with a mounting unit with a vertical baseplate and a horizontal mounting plate, and a rim unit having a circular hoop portion and a pivot plate that projects rearwardly from the hoop portion in spaced relation above the mounting plate. A ball bearing is positioned between the pivot plate and the mounting plate to provide the pivot point for releasing the rim unit when a downward load is placed upon the hoop portion. At least one stop is placed on top of the mounting plate to restrict the movement of the pivot plate and load a plurality of spring-loaded attachments that extend from the pivot plate through the mounting plate to return the rim unit to a generally horizontal position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,503,160 and 6,935,972 disclose a breakaway basketball rim assembly in which the mounting bracket and rim are operably interconnected by a torsion rod which twists resiliently in response to an impact or other downward load on the rim. The torsion rod may extend parallel to the backboard, with one end being fixedly mounted to the mounting bracket and the other end being fixedly mounted to the rim, so that the torsion rod allows the rim to deflect downwardly about an axis that extends parallel to the backboard. The torsion rod may be mounted to overlapping flanges on the mounting bracket and the rim. There may also be a longitudinal torsion rod that extends perpendicular to the transverse torsion rod, so as to permit the rim to deflect downwardly about axes that extend both parallel and perpendicular to the backboard.
Despite the various features and benefits of the structures of the forgoing disclosures, there remains a need for an inexpensive, compact basketball rim support that permits controlled deflection of the rim in a variety of directions, while maintaining the rim at the conventional position during any normal impact between a basketball and the rim, and includes an automatic return mechanism for returning the rim to its original position without have to resort to any manual reset of that position.